The Walking Dead, Survival Rule Of The Week: Know the signs
By Liam O'Leary
3) They’re a control freak.
To paraphrase J.K. Rowling “If you want to see the true measure of a man, watch how he treats his subjects.” The point of this phrase is that you truly get to see who a person is when you give them power, or, at least, the illusion of power.
I know I mentioned this last week, but, it bears repeating: Watch out for control freaks in the zombie apocalypse. Whether they’re part of your group or not, always keep an eye out for them.
You see, once people think they have power over others, you get to see who they really are. A good person will be honest and just; They won’t set themselves up to get the best of what you have, and their actions will be guided by what the best and most beneficial course for the group. A bad person will take everything for themselves, and will likely use force on people who have little in the way of defending themselves because of prejudices, petty grudges, or simply to show how “strong” they are.
Another tell (Particularly if you’re not leading your group)? They won’t like people having loyalties to anyone but themselves.
Look at The Governor. Do you recall how he kept trying to discourage Merle from going to look for Daryl?
Do you know why he did? Because, The Governor knew that if Merle found Daryl, his loyalty would be to his brother, not to The Governor. Even if Merle brought Daryl back to Woodbury, The Governor knew that if Daryl didn’t like the vibe (Like Michonne did) and told Merle to bail, Merle would have gone with Daryl and NOT stayed with The Governor.
You see, that’s the way megalomaniacs are. They CRAVE power. Which is why, if you discover your group leader seems really hung up on your group being loyal to them as opposed to The Group, or starts refusing to let people leave…that might be your cue to, well, leave. If you don’t, before too long, they may demand physical punishment just for questioning them…
Next: Well, Aren't They NICE?